Community Center Completed

SOUTH AMBOY — J.G. Petrucci Co., Inc. has completed the construction of a new 35,000 square foot community center for the City of South Amboy.
The center is being operated in partnership with the Metuchen-Edison-Woodbridge YMCA, which has signed a 20-year lease for the building, according to City Council President Fred Henry.

The community center, located between Broadway and Portia Street, is within walking distance of the Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, a senior housing community, and the South Amboy middle school and high school. Henry said it will function as a traditional YMCA, providing recreational and community activities.

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In addition to a large atrium and office space, the facility has a senior and fitness center, a babysitting area, and a 6,000 sq. ft. wellness center geared toward teens, adults and families, Henry said.

The center also features a 25 yard six-lane competitive swimming pool, a full court gymnasium and progressive YMCA instruction and child care.
Members may drop off children aged 6 months to 9 years old for babysitting at no charge while they use the facility.

The development is a public/private partnership that included such incentives as Middlesex County grants and tax-exempt bonds, according to a relase from J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc., a privately-held builder with more than 23 years experience that constructed the center.

Days before opening its doors to the public last month, South Amboy YMCA director Katie McAdoo led Mayor John T. O’Leary on a tour of the new facility. O’Leary said the community center represents a major accomplishment of the city’s redevelopment goals.

“Redevelopment is not just about bricks and mortar, it’s about bringing the community into redevelopment,” O’Leary said. “People will literally be able to run on the treadmill and watch the sun rise over the bay.”

Monthly membership rates range from $9.35 to $31 with family plans for $40.35 for South Amboy residents and from $12.50 to $41.25 with $53.75 family plans for residents of surrounding communities.

McAdoo said as a non-profit serving the community, the Y also offers subsidized free memberships for residents unable to afford the fees.

“What we’re seeing because of the economy are some people who were earning $150,000 to $175,000 a year last year down to unemployment or nothing this year,” she said. “We never want to turn anyone away because they can’t afford it.”